GROWING TURKISH ANXIETY ABOUT SECURITY FOR WORKERS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 005379 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/20/2014 TAGS: ECON ETRD IZ PREL PTER TU SUBJECT: GROWING TURKISH ANXIETY ABOUT SECURITY FOR WORKERS IN IRAQ REF: A. STATE 195610 ¶B. ANKARA ¶C. BAGHDAD 1044 ¶D. DAMASCUS 5468 Classified By: Ambassador Eric Edelman for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) Summary: Turkish officials were grateful for the explanation in ref a on convoy security, but their concern about the domestic impact of the mounting toll of Turkish drivers dying in Iraq continues to rise. We are concerned that Turkish companies and drivers will begin pulling out of Iraq, hampering U.S. supply operations and reconstruction projects. Action requested in para 10. End Summary. ¶2. (SBU) The number of Turkish drivers killed or abducted jumped again this weekend after reports September 20 of an incident near Baghdad in which as many as 12 Turkish drivers were killed or kidnapped. Prior to today's news, Turkish authorities estimated that 30 Turkish drivers had been killed, with perhaps 20 more missing and possibly kidnapped. The DoD Movement Control Team, which oversees U.S. supply contracts from Turkey, said that 26 Turkish drivers contracted by DoD had been killed, and there were 50 reported incidents in which the drivers had been shot or injured in Iraq. ¶3. (U) On September 17, Ambassador Edelman shared ref a talking points on trucker security with Turkish Trade Minister Tuzmen. Ambassador emphasized that Turkish officials need to work closely with Iraqi officials to address some of their concerns, such as insurance and construction of safe rest areas for trucks and drivers. Demonstrating the high level of public interest in the subject, the meeting was widely reported in the Turkish press. ¶4. (C) Also on September 17, econoffs delivered ref a talking points to MFA DDG for Bilateral Economic Affairs Sakir Fakili, who was grateful for the U.S. response to the GOT request for help with trucker security (ref b). He said the government was working with some Turkish companies interested in constructing secure rest areas for truckers in Iraq and urged the companies to work with local Iraqi authorities. Fakili said the U.S. proposal for regular meetings at or near Habur Gate to include MNF-I commanders was welcome, but he could not respond until the proposal had been reviewed. He noted that Turkey has an abundance of excellent security firms and asked what the U.S. response would be to hiring Turkish firms to provide security for Turkish drivers and companies in Iraq. ¶5. (SBU) Fakili also shared with us a paper, dated 30 August 2004, which he said the Turkish embassy in Kuwait received from the "Deputy Commander of U.S. forces in Kuwait." The paper, titled "Action Taken by US Military with Respect to Foreign National Drivers that Must Travel to Iraq under a US Government Contract," lists 10 actions U.S. government contractors are obliged to take with respect to foreign workers hired from Kuwait for work in Iraq. The most notable of these are: incorporating Kuwaiti labor laws; providing life insurance; paying a 5 percent incentive pay; and establishing a compensation package for workers killed or injured in Iraq. (Embassy will fax full text of paper to EUR/SE.) Comment: Although the benefits in the memo do not address security issues, they would provide some additional financial protections and incentives for truckers. Fakili said Turkey would like similar benefits extended to Turkish drivers working in Iraq. End Comment. ¶6. (C) Turkey's MFA Coordinator for Iraq Reconstruction Rifat Okcun told econoff that he had called a special meeting September 20 of the GOT Iraq Reconstruction Coordinating Committee, which includes the concerned Turkish ministries and business representatives. In light of the recent reports of more dead Turkish drivers, he expected the private sector representatives to complain that the government was not doing enough to protect them. He said Turkish contractors were beginning to draw back people from Iraq, and he was concerned that Turkish truck drivers would increasingly refuse to make deliveries into Iraq. ¶7. (SBU) Separately, also on September 17, Yuksel executive Emin Sazak told us that his company will continue its operations in Iraq. (Yuksel is a leading Turkish construction company, with several large USG-funded construction projects in Iraq and Afghanistan.) However, Sazak said that increasingly Iraqi workers were walking away in response to threats and Turks are increasingly difficult to recruit. He shared with the Ambassador a CD which he was told contained graphic video of attacks on workers and killings; the CD is being widely distributed in and around Kirkuk apparently to intimidate workers. He raised a couple of issues regarding the difficulties Yuksel continues to face: He said it was essential to support insurance for companies in Iraq. Yuksel lost a shipment of generators worth USD 300,000. He inquired whether cargo flights into Iraq were possible (embassy notes ref d report of passenger flights to Amman and Damascus),and he reported that some U.S. military commanders were not allowing workers and company officials to bring cell phones and computers inside the camps. ¶8. (SBU) We also continue to receive complaints from Turkish firms about unpaid invoices by DoD prime contractor KBR. At least three Turkish firms have formally approached the Embassy with assertions that KBR has not paid invoices amounting to several million dollars each. Post's attempts to engage KBR on this issue so far have been futile. The non-payments issue has a potential to become a significant embarrassment for the USG. ¶9. (SBU) During a September 10 visit to Ankara by DOC DAS Stewart, post organized an Iraq Reconstruction Video Conference that included the Chief of the Contract Support Staff Office of the Army's Program Contracting Office. Although this event attracted more than 30 major Turkish contractors, the inability of the U.S. officials to respond or address basic questions on insurance and security left many Turkish participants, who had traveled from all over Turkey, extremely disappointed. Several participants privately told us that they are seriously considering pulling out of Iraq or not bidding an any new Iraq-related contracts. ¶10. (C) Comment and Action Request: Turkish officials appreciate the difficulties facing U.S. forces in Iraq and are generally grateful for Department's initial response (ref a) to their request for help with trucker security. However, it is increasingly clear that the rising violence against foreign workers in Iraq will make it more difficult for the GOT to work with truckers on this issue and that more and more Turkish companies and individual drivers will choose to suspend their work in Iraq or avoid high risk areas until conditions improve (ref c). To counteract this trend, we and the Turkish government must be able to demonstrate that new measures are being taken to protect the interests of Turkish workers. We request that department verify the information handed to us on actions taken in Kuwait (para 5) for foreign drivers in Iraq and evaluate whether similar actions could be taken for Turkish drivers. We also request guidance on the conditions under which cargo flights would be allowed into Iraq, and U.S. views on Turkish security firms operating in Iraq. ¶11. (U) Baghdad minimized considered. EDELMAN